Episode 2 Review

September 11, 2014

Episode 2 feels just as short as the previous one, but this works well for those binge-watching viewers. Meaning that the episodes, thus far, have followed a simple formula of fancy animated intro and cliffhanger endings. One big thing about this episode is introducing a new character: Brunhilda aka Doctor Bad Guy’s daughter. Brunhilda is a German name, an ode to Doctor Mascalzone’s nationality. That accent is awesomely obvious, but his daughter is Asian. That’s a great casting choice, as too many comic book characters are white. Write a German/Asian female character to bring some diversity to a show. She’s the ultimate Daddy’s Girl, but she’s also nonchalantly homicidal. One thing to note about Brunhilda is that she’s got the acting chops to avoid getting overwhelmed by Doctor Mascalzone. The Doctor Mascalzone sent some evil weapon to Generic Girl, which is how she’s becoming the reluctant hero. This weapon is a huge mystery, pointing out that the evil guy’s dangerous leverage is usually a big blank. Gotta love that. Along with introducing a strong female lead, we learn more about our star player: Gillian Romero. She’s responsible, smart, and savvy. This girl just wants to pay the rent, although I think she should just find a new sidekick. Captain Freelance isn’t cut out for city living, but doesn’t that point out how useless superpowers can really be? During this scene there’s also a funny moment about comic books being outdated. So all those graphic novels I’ve been reading aren’t profitable? The only problem I have with this episode is the visual comic book goodies. Since this is a serialized story, unlike the adaptation of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, the trick is to keep the visual effects consistent from episode to episode. Adding action bubbles, or other text and visual enhancers makes the show more aesthetically pleasing and stylized. I do understand that the amount of ‘meanwhile’ texts-on-screen work to further the witty humor. Definitely one of those shows that needs a second watch to get the full experience.